[ Current Mission: Gain the initial approval of your classmate, Uchiha Sasuke.]
[ Mission Reward: Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.]
[ Accept? ]
The mission was similar to the one involving Uzumaki Naruto, but the difficulty was worlds apart.
After all, Uchiha Sasuke still had both his parents and a prodigy of a brother, Uchiha Itachi.
Kitazawa was just an ordinary Chūnin. Earning Sasuke's approval wouldn't be easy.
It wasn't impossible.
Uchiha Sasuke, like Hyūga Hinata, yearned for his father, Uchiha Fugaku's, approval.
"It seems the key lies in the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique," Kitazawa mused thoughtfully.
Suddenly, the classroom fell silent.
A heavyweight had arrived: Uzumaki Naruto.
The silence quickly gave way to murmurs and whispers.
Witnessing the students' reactions, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
Even at school, his situation remained unchanged.
"Naruto, find a seat."
The familiar voice made Naruto's heart leap.
He looked up at Kitazawa on the podium and nodded vigorously.
"Silence," Kitazawa said sternly.
The classroom chatter vanished instantly, though the lingering gazes remained.
Kitazawa scanned the room and let out a soft "Hmm."
He had spotted the final member of the Konoha Nine: Aburame Shino, cloaked in a long robe and wearing dark sunglasses.
When did he get here?
Kitazawa racked his brain but couldn't recall seeing him enter.
"Now, let's begin class. But as usual, we'll start with self-introductions."
Kitazawa picked up the chalk and wrote his name on the blackboard. "Starting from the first row, come up to the stage one by one in order," he instructed, stepping aside to make room.
The students filed onto the stage one after another.
Apart from the Konoha Nine, Kitazawa found all the faces unfamiliar.
The remaining three members of the Konoha Nine—Hyuga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee—were in the second year.
"I'm Nara Shikamaru," Nara Shikamaru yawned. "I don't have any big dreams. I just want to live a peaceful life."
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Uchiha Sasuke said with a stiff expression. "I hate a lot of things and don't really like anything. My dream is to become a ninja like my brother."
Only when he mentioned "brother" did his expression soften, revealing a hint of admiration.
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Uzumaki Naruto declared from the podium, taking a deep breath.
"I love instant ramen and ramen, but I hate waiting three minutes for the instant ramen to cook! I have a dream—to surpass the Hokage!"
Kitazawa nodded slightly.
This was essentially the same self-introduction Uzumaki Naruto had given in the original story.
In a way, his persistence was terrifying.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Delusional! No monster could ever become Hokage!"
"You think you can surpass the Third Hokage? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Unsurprisingly, Uzumaki Naruto was met with ridicule.
"What's so funny? All I see is a worthy successor to the Will of Fire."
Kitazawa strode to the podium, his face stern.
"You all aspire to become Hokage, but by mocking Naruto, you've already disqualified yourselves."
Every voice fell silent.